May 12, 2018

Here are the five best smartwatches you can buy right now (May 2018). While I don't agree with this list of the best Smartwatches of 2018, the listed watches are all competent daily carries, and you won't be disappointed if you buy one. That said, the best Smartwatch, IMHO, is the Galaxy S3 with an LTE phone chip. I don't like the Frontier, and the Classic is the perfect combination of classic watch looks, and modern tech. So, pick your poison, and get your watch on. If Maxwell Smart can upgrade from a shoe phone to a Smartwatch, so can you.

Samsung Gear S3 update fixes the battery drain and more. Battery life is still the Holy Grail of mobile computing, and a long day at Disney World is a great way to test advances in mobile software. While the new Microsoft Book 2 will last all day and then some, the Galaxy Note 8 Smartphone strains to get through a whole day, and the Galaxy S3 Smartwatch has had a battery drain problem for some time. Software tweaks, however, have solved the problem for the watch, and judicious charging of the phone make the problem tolerable. Until the unlimited power source is discovered, road warriors will have to get used to plugging in whenever an outlet is available. Convention organizers are even making battery charging stations a staple of the amenities offered to participants.

May 04, 2018

Wear OS gets more Google Assistant features ahead of I/O | TechCrunch. I guess I will have to wear my Android Wear watch more often. I prefer the funtionality of the Gear S3 because it has an LTE phone chip, and can get my email, texts and phone calls even when I am away from my Smartphone. But, I miss saying: "OK Google" to my watch, and having an answer pop up. Gear OS, because it is Android, accepts the OK Google command; and, now Google is adding more functionality to the Google Assistant on the watch. Very cool.

April 30, 2018

We have all seen the fake arm projection devices that seem to project a phone screen on the arm with touch control. Well, art is about to become science. This video shows a smartwatch like device with a real projection unit that projects a usable image on the arm next to the watch. Watch for these; as you know Futurelawyer will be first in line for the arm phone/watch.

April 18, 2018

SGNL is an IndieGoGo project that is now sending out Beta versions of its watch bands, for $149. The bands contain a transceiver that send audio signals through the body, enabling phone calls by touching the tip of the index finger to the ear of the user. I am still skeptical; but, I support any initiative that keeps the phone itself away from the body, and the microwave radiation a safer distance from the head. This little video shows how it works in real use. Pretty amazing tech.

March 23, 2018

Hands-on with Oculus Go, the game console you wear on your face | Android Central. Forget VR headsets that require you to insert your phone and which cost $400. Forget sharing the computer battery with your phone, and getting interrupted by emails and texts. Available soon, the new Oculus Go headsets will have the computer built in, and will only cost $199. No cables to an expensive high end tower computer. No requirement for a specific brand of Smartphone. You want one of these. You need one of these. All I want is a thank you.

February 15, 2018

Magic Leap, 'major telco' to team up this year on mixed reality, CEO says - CNET. It looks like we face a future world in which everyone is wearing augmented reality glasses, instead of carrying smartphones. At least, in this future world, we will be looking forward instead of down, and we will be looking at the real world; albeit, augmented by computer created images and data. Imagine a world in which you can never see someone for who they really are; wait, we already live there. But, at least in the future, we will be able to monitor their vital signs. I can see practical applications here for surgeons, engineers, manufacturing, and so forth. But, for the rest of us? Jeez.

February 12, 2018

This smartwatch looks like the Apple Watch but has a 45-day battery for just $99. I know Smartwatches. Smartwatches are friends of mine. The Amazfit Bip may have a 45 day battery life and cost $99; but, you get what you pay for. First, why would Amazfit want to imitate the tiny square look of the AppleWatch, which is the ugliest Smartwatch on the planet? Second, the screen doesn't even use the whole watch, which is a tiny 1.25 inches anyway. This thing may be okay for someone who just wants basic fitness information and so forth; but, it won't be seen on Futurelawyer's wrist. Jeez.

February 11, 2018

A50 Wireless Base Station Xbox One Setup Guide. Why should gamers have all the fun? I have been piping my cable TV and Movies through my XBox One S console for a couple of years now. Yes, I downloaded some games; but, I have never really been a gamer. While I have a SoundBar and Base speaker module connected to my TV, I like it loud, and I have been getting pushback from She Who Someday Will Be Obeyed. So, when I was browsing around BestBuy, I came across the gamer headphone section and saw the Astro A50 wireless headphones. I tried them in the store and I was blown away by the sound. Imagine Dolby surround sound in your head. As a bonus, they connect via Bluetooth to your computer for amazing sound online. These things are pricey; but, I'm worth it. And, now SWSWBO can't complain about the TV anymore.

February 09, 2018

(6) Exclusive: Intel's new smart glasses hands-on - YouTube. Remember the first computer enabled glasses? Well, they've come a long way baby. Intel has developed glasses that use a tiny laser and mirror to put a heads up display on your retina. A low power laser shining on my retina is not exactly comforting; but, Intel insists this is safe, using retinal projection to show you essential notifications. Big plastic framed glasses, though? They still look geeky to me.

Lawyer,Poet, author, educator. Practices real property, corporation, wills, trusts and estates law in Pinellas County, Florida. Writes the FutureLawyer column. Gives seminars on technology and the law. Author of "Life is Simple, Really", Poems about Life, Loving, Family and Fun.